A vigil was held Thursday afternoon near a Toronto intersection where 6-year-old Georgia Walsh was fatally struck by a minivan one day earlier.
Distraught parents, children and residents in the area gathered at Millwood Road and McRae Drive, where Walsh, the daughter of the president of the Conservative Party of Canada, was hit.
"I was here when (it) happened, just right before the ambulance came… I can’t stop thinking about," a woman who attended the vigil told CTV Toronto.
"It could have been any of our kids names on that side (of the street)," another woman said while fighting back tears.
Walsh was struck at the intersection of Millwood Road and McRae Drive at approximately 4 p.m. when a driver made a right turn onto Millwood.
She was rushed to hospital with serious head trauma, and was taken to Sick Kids Hospital, where she succumbed to her injuries.
Police said the 50-year-old driver of the 1998 Toyota Sienna that hit her remained at the scene.
Last night, Walsh's family released a statement calling the girl a "beautiful daughter and wonderful sister." Walsh's father, John, has been president of the Conservative Party of Canada since 2009.
Wednesday's tragedy comes after residents in the Leaside neighbourhood say they've been concerned about the busy intersection for months. They say traffic in the area has noticeably increased as drivers have been cutting through the neighbourhood to avoid the LRT construction on Eglinton Avenue.
Resident Roger Cattell recently wrote a letter to John Parker, the councillor who represents the area.
"(I am) writing to get help dealing with increased traffic in the area and the potential for injury to the students walking to and from school," Cattell wrote.
